Boats
by magpieforjoy
Summary: Other girls like boats, don't they?  Spoilers through 6.17 "Garbage Island"  Becky/The Captain


**July 2033**

It was a perfect day for the grand opening of the New York Harbor Boat Museum: the sun was shining over the bay and made the water in the museum's reflecting pool shimmer like diamonds; the air was hot but mercifully dry and mitigated by a cool bay breeze. Indoors, the state-of-the-art green ventilation system was running silently and efficiently, but that didn't stop Ted's daughter's face from continually burning.

"Yes, I certainly appreciate your amazement at the design of this place, but can you believe this young woman next to me? Fresh out of her freshman year of college, and straight A's so far! Impressive, right? Yes, I couldn't be any prouder..." Ted would do this with every person he came across, whether one was a colleague or boat enthusiast – nothing would prevent him from out-Dad-ing any father in the place... probably the whole city.

When finally the crowd of well-wishers thinned out, Ted's daughter grabbed his shoulder for leverage, leaned up, and hissed, "Dad, can you _please_ stop? You're embarrassing me!"

Ted pulled away from her, looking hurt. "I'm sorry, honey. I just want people to know what an awesome daughter I have. You're just doing so well, and I want to celebrate it. I can design a museum any old day, but I have only one daughter." She raised an eyebrow at him, unmoved. Ted sighed. "Okay, how can I make it up to you?"

She frowned, considering. "Hmm... well, since we're in the city already, maybe... we can go to MacLaren's?" She looked up at him hopefully.

Ted brightened. "Hey, that's a great idea! You're finally taking interest- heyyyy," he stopped, excitement over the prospect of showing his daughter the place he spent practically the entirety of his early adulthood fading. "You do realize that though you're in college, the most grown-up drink I'm going to let you get there is a root beer float, right?"

Her shoulders slumped, and she stuck her lower lip out, gazing up at him with wide eyes. "But Daaaaad..."

Ted rolled his eyes. "Don't 'But Dad' me, young lady. If you think acting like a five-year-old is going to make me treat you like a twenty-one-year-old, you've got-"

He was interrupted by a loud, high-pitched whine just around the corner from where he and his daughter were standing:

"But sweeeeeetie, can't we get just a widdle bit of ice cweam before din din tonight?"

"Ah, well I suppose just this once, princess…" A gentleman who appeared to be in his 70s, wearing sunglasses and holding the hand of a woman who appeared to be at least 30 years his junior, rounded the corner and came into view. Ted, having had the image branded into his brain so that he would know when to flee for his life, could recognize that chin anywhere. He gave a distinctly unmanly gasp and ducked behind his daughter.

"Quick, hide me! It's The Captain! Listen, if I die, tell your mother-"

But it was too late, and luck was not on Ted's side today. The Captain had apparently caught sight of the architect and immediately recognized him. "Ted? Ahoy there! Ted Mosby? Is that you?" Ted peered around his daughter cautiously, taking note of The Captain's broad grin. But who knew what lay behind those sunglasses?

The Captain continued beaming at him, unperturbed. "I couldn't believe it when I read in the program that you'd designed this magnificent building, but, well... here you are!" He extended a hand towards Ted, who apprehensively moved from behind his daughter to shake The Captain's hand.

The Captain tilted his head to acknowledge Ted's daughter. "And who is this – oh, forgive me, wearing my sunny-sea glasses with a lady present! Of course my co-captain doesn't mind, but-" He pulled off his glasses to reveal eyes smiling as warmly as his mouth. Ted sighed with relief.

The woman at The Captain's side, who had been watching shyly and silently sucking on her Ring Pop, spoke up. "Wait... Ted Mosby?" She looked at him more fully, her big eyes growing to the size of dinnerplates. "Ted! Oh my goodness gracious, can you believe it! You were my co-worker's roommate back when I was on Come On Get Up New York, right?" She squealed and began bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I never forget a face! Just like I don't forget my world-famous chocolate chip cookie recipe! Or how much I love my pookie bay-urrrr!" She giggled and made goo-goo eyes at The Captain, who appeared entranced and exchanged sweet nothings with her for a moment before snapping back to attention.

"Yes, forgive me – then of course you know my wife Becky. And this must be your..." he hesitated for a fraction of a second. "... daughter?"

Ted's eyes bugged out at the absurd question, but he refrained from saying or doing something dramatic. "Yes she is, and actually, she's-" He felt her glare and halted that impending speech. "You know what? Nevermind. But you," he gestured between Becky and The Captain. "There's a story here, isn't there?"

The Captain and Becky grinned at each other, clearly silently communicating who should tell the story this time. The Captain must have been chosen, for he cleared his voice before speaking.

"Actually, Ted, the story begins with you." At Ted's surprised expression, he chuckled. "Now, don't be too shocked; you _were_ there for the dissolution of my first marriage, after all. But that's not all! You gave me some valuable advice at that time: 'You'll find a girl who likes boats, and you'll be much happier with her than you ever were with Zoey.' Innocuous as it may be, that stayed with me in my darkest hours.

"Months I spent getting over my first marriage and picking up the pieces of my shattered heart, dashed on the rocks of disappointment like so much flotsam and jetsam. I vowed to give up on love and devote my life solely to boats, and just when I had resolved upon doing this very thing… I happened upon an advertisement for a boat show- an advertisement which starred my Becky. I had, of course, seen similar commercials for previous boat shows, but that the time my heart had been anchored in another port. This time, my heart was adrift, and it found safe harbor with the help of this siren, who proclaimed the wonder of boats with such promise and vigor... well, you can imagine that I was enthralled.

"I used my considerable resources to discover this sea nymph's identity, and I was not disappointed. I found out that she was the host of a successful morning talk show, and so I proceeded to buy out the channel to throw her into my path. It wasn't long before I orchestrated a meeting, and when she discovered our shared love of boats and all things nautical, she allowed me to woo her.

"After showering her with gifts and giving her a tour of my boat, how could she resist? And so, following a whirlwind romance, we were married at sea and have now spent the last twenty years with one foot on sea and one foot on shore, but always with our arms around each other." He touched his nose to Becky's, both smiling genuinely. "And we couldn't be happier. So truly, I must thank you for the part you played in the voyage that we call our happiness – and also for this magnificent museum! It is a true inspiration to us seafarers."

There was silence for a moment as Ted processed this information. He remembered himself and offered the couple a smile. "Well, I'm glad things worked out for the two of you. And thank you. That compliment means a great deal to me coming from you, The Captain."

He stepped forward to shake both Becky's and The Captain's hands, and Ted saluted them. "Well, I've got to find the rest of my family and get this one," he pointed to his daughter, "fed and watered. Do you know, she just finished-"

"Dad," his daughter said in a warning tone.

Ted smiled, chagrined. "Well, it was good seeing you both."

The Captain looked at him seriously. "Farewell, Galactic President Superstar McAwesomeville."

Ted and his daughter turned to take the spiral staircase down to the foyer to seek out his wife and son, Ted shaking his head the whole way. "Minds like steel traps! How do they remember this stuff?"

His daughter poked his arm. "Wait until we tell mom and the little bro about this! He's going to be so mad he missed out on The Captain when I reveal to him that you actually weren't exaggerating when you described him!"

Ted looked scandalized. "Exaggerate! Me? Never! Where would you ever get an idea like that? You wound me. I can't believe my first-born child would treat me so!"

She laughed and held onto his arm as they walked. "Come on, Dad, don't worry about all that. You should just be glad we actually listened to your crazy long stories. Now, let's go get some root beer floats."


End file.
